Pedal attachment for pianos.



F ALLEN.

PEDAL ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2h I917.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

5 floor.

unirup STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

ms I'AILLEN, ,oF coLDwATEit, MICHIGAN.

PEDAL ATTACHMENT roR'rIANos.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that LFnnn ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Coldwater, in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Pedal Attachment for Pianos; and. I do hereby declare the .following to be a full,

clear, and exact description .ofthe invention,

justable to suit the relative positions of the pedals and height of the same from the Further objects and advantages of the invention will'be apparent from the following detailed description thereof.

While the invention, in its broader aspect, is capable of embodiment in numerous forms,

a preferred embodimentthereof is illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, 111-\\'l11Cl1- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pedalbox embodying my invention in operative connection with the pedals of a piano. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the pedalbox with a part broken away. Fig. 3 is a section=thereof on the line 33 in Fig. 2. Fig. l is an enlarged bottom perspective view of the pedal engaging portionof one of the pedal operating arms, and Fig.- 5 is an enlarged perspective fragmentary view of the manner of mounting a pedal operating arm in the box and its adjusting means.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a box or casing constituting a foot-rest and having mounted therein, near its rear side, two vertically spaced shafts 2 and 3, which are horizontally disposed and mounted at their ends in the respective sides of the box, or in any other suitable manner, with the shaft 2 adjacent to the top of the box and the shaft 3 vertically spaced from the bottom thereof.

A pair of vertical standards 4, 1 are slidingly mounted on the shafts 2 and 3, and each extends down at the rear of a bar or Serial No. 170,061.

member 5, which is stationarily fixed to the lower rear portion of the box; A set-screw 6 1s carried at the lower end portion of each standard r for coaction with the bar5to retain the standard 14: in adjusted position transversely of the box and also to cause the standard to exert aflateral strain on the shafts 2, 3 to prevent vibration thereof. A pedal engaging arm 7 extends forward from each standard +t and is pivotally connected to the shaft 3, in the present instance, by cars 8,-which extend rearwardly from opposite sideedges of the arm 7 in straddling relation to the standard 4 and are perforated to loosely receive the shaft 3. It is thus evident that a movement of the standard A in one direction or the other on the shafts 2, 3 will carry the armitherewith. The arni7 is normally retained in elevated position by a coiled contractile spring 9, which has its lower end connected to the arm lIl advance of its rear end and has its upper end in sliding engagement with a rod 10 that ex-.

tends from one side to the other of the box in advance of and parallel to the shaft The vertical adjustment of each arm 7 to suit the height of the pedal, 11 engaged thereby is effected by a turning in one direction or the other of a set-screw 2, which is threaded through the associated standard l above the shaft 3 and coacts at its forward end with the rear side of a boss or block 13, which fixedly rises from the top of the arm '7 adjacent to its rear end.

Each arm 7 is provided at the under side of its forward or free end with a triangular or two-sided guide l for engaging one side and the outer end of a pedal to prevent a forward sliding of the pedahbox when in engagement with a pedal. T he sides of the guides 1a which engage the side edges of the respective pedals are arranged either at the inner or the outer sides of the arms 7 so as to cooperate when in engagement with the pedals to prevent a transverse movement of the pedal-box with respect to the pedals, as is apparent. A pad 15 is provided on the under side of each arm 7 within the guide 14 for contact with the top of the pedal to soften or deaden the contact of an arm and pedal. A standard 16 rises from, the forward end portion of each arm 7 above the forward edge of the box 1 in convenient position to be depressed by the feet of a child playing the piano.

It is evident that by loosening the set- PatcntedOct;9," 1917.

screws 6 and sliding the standards 4, 4 one way or the other on the shafts 2, 3, the arms 7 may be easily and quickly adjusted to suit the lateral spacing of the pedals with which they are to be connected and that an adjusting of the screws 12 will effect a vertical swinging adjustment of the arms 7 to suit the height of the pedals sothat no loose play is present between the arms and pedals when in operating relation 'one with the other.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capable of numerous modifications without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, a box, a pedal operating arm pivotally carried by said box for vertical swinging adjustment and transverse horizontal adjustment relative thereto, means yieldingly holding the arm in elevated position, means adj ustably coacting with the arm to limit the raising movement thereof and being adjustable with said arm, and means for securing the arm in horizontally adjusted position.

In a device of the class described, a box, a horizontal shaft in said box, a pedal operating arm pivotally extending from said shaft and adjustable lengthwise thereof, means yieldingly retaining the arm in elevated position, adjustable means for coacting with the arm to limit the elevating movement thereof and movable with the arm lengthwise of said shaft, and means for securing the arm in adjusted position lengthwise of the shaft. 7

3. In a device of the class described, a box, a shaft mounted horizontally in said box, a standard mounted on said shaft for sliding adjustment longitudinally thereof, means slidingly engaging the upper end of said standard to retain it in vertical position, a pedal operating arm pivotally connected to said shaft and extendin forward from said standard, means yiel ingly retaining said arm in elevated position, means carried by said standard and coacting with a part of said arm to adjustably limit the elevating movement of the arm, and adjustable means coacting with said standard and a portion of said box to secure the standard in adjusted position.

4. In a device of the class described, a box, a pair of vertically spaced shafts horizontally mounted in said box, a vertically disposed standard carried by said shafts for adjustment lengthwise thereof, a pedal operating arm pivotally extending from one of said shafts and connected to said standard for adjustment therewith, means yieldingly retaining the arm in elevated position, means coacting with said standard and a part of said arm to adjustably limit the elevating movement of the arm, and means carried by said standard and adjustably coacting with a portion of said box to secure said standard in adjusted position.

5. In a device of the class described, a box, a shaft horizontally mounted in said box, a pair of standards mounted on said shaft for relative adjustment longitudinally thereof, means slidingly engaging one end of each of said standards to retain them in upright position, a normally elevated pedal operating arm pivotally projecting forward from each of said standards and adjustable therewith, means adjustably connecting each standard and arm for limiting the raising movement of the arm, means for securing each standard in adjusted position, and pedal engaging guides at the free ends of said arms for coacting with the engaged pedals to prevent forward and transverse shifting movements of the arms with respect to the pedals.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

FRED ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent, Washington, D. C. 

